Motor vehicle photoelectric control system for headlights



Juiy 19, 1949. v N. v" PILLUS 2,476,382

MOTOR VEHICLE PHOTOELECTRIC CONTROL SYSTEM FOR HEADLIGHTS Filed March 26, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR.

ATTCI RN EYS July 19, i949 N. v. PILLUS 2,476,382

' MOTOR VEHICLE PHOTOELECTRIC CONTROL SYSTEM FOR HEADLIGHTS Filed March 26, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 '1 n j IN VEN TOR.

/Vz'c%olas M/ Z'ZZUS NEYS Patented July 19, 1949 UNITED 'srlrrss PATENT OFFICE;

MOTOR VEHICLE PHOTOELECTRIG CON- TROL SYSTEM FOR HEADLIGHTS Nicholas V. Pillus, East Orange, N. J.

Application March 26, 1948, Serial No. 17,236

3 Claims.

This invention relates to motor vehicle headlight dimmers and more particularly to an automatic controlsystem for automobile headlight circuits.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved control apparatus for motor vehicle headlights which functions in response to the headlight beam of an approaching vehicle to automatically dim or depress the headlight beam of the vehicle on which the apparatus is mounted whereby glare is reduced and night driving conditions, especially on narrow roads are made less hazardous.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved headlight control apparatus of the photo electric type which is simple in construction, easy to install on motor vehicles and which provides a timed dimming of the headlights of a motor vehicle on which the apparatus is mounted commencing with the approach of an. oncoming other vehicle, and continuing until said other vehicle has passed a safe distance beyond the first vehicle.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from' the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a motor vehicle equipped with a headlight control apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the forward portion of the motor vehicle of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a wiring diagram of the headlight control apparatus employed in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a perspective detail view of a head.- light control unit such as is employed on the vehicle of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a side elevational view of a relay element employed in the unit of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is an end elevational view of the relay element of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a top plan view of the relay element of Figure 5.

Figure 8 is an elevational view of a thermal timing switch employed in the apparatus illustrated in Figure 3.

Figure 9 is a plan view of the thermal timing switch of Figure 8.

Referring to the drawings, H designates a housing provided at its forward wall with a cylindrical lens tube [2 in which are mounted suitable lenses l3, l3. Mounted in the housing behind the lenses is a photoelectric cell, of the selenium type.

Thevhousing is secured to the 55- iorward portion of a motor vehicle with the lens tube l2 directed'forwardly, as for example in the manner shown in Figures 1 and 2, wherein the housing II is secured behind the radiator grille l5 of the vehicle with tube l2 projecting for-p wardly through the grille, the tube l2 being substantially centered between the vehicle headlights l6, l6.

Mounted in housing I l in any suitable manner is a relay element designated generally at I! and comprising an insulating base l8 on which is' secured an inverted L-bracket [9. Depending from'the top arm of bracket 19 and rigidly secured thereto is a nut member 20 in which is threadedly engaged a pivot screw 2|. Secured on base I8 in vertical alignment with nut member 20 is a nut member 22 in which is threadedly engaged an upstanding pivot screw 23. Pivoted between pivot screws 2! and 23 is an armature 24 of non-magnetic metal, such as brass, said armature carrying at one end a solenoid coil 25. The terminals of coil 25 are connected by suitable flexible wires to binding posts 25, 21 mount-- ed on base l8. Forwardly adjacent coil 25, as viewed in Figure '7, is a permanent magnet 28 carried on a vertical post member 29 secured to base I8.

Rearwardly adjacent the opposite end of ar' mature 24, as viewed in Figure '7, is a vertical metal contact bar 30 secured to base l8. Bar 33 is connected by a wire 3| to a binding post 32 secured to base l8. Designated at 33 is a bracket member secured to base l8and having vertical arms 34 and 35 positioned on opposite sides of armature 24 between bracket I9 and bar 3!).

Threaded through arm 35 is a stop screw 35 ngageable with armature 24 to limit counter-clock= wise rotation thereof, as viewed in Figure 7. Threaded through arm 34 is a screw 31. Secured to base l8 adjacent bracket member 33 is an upstanding bracket 38 in the upper portion of which is pivotally mounted a generally U-shaped leaf spring 39. One arm of leaf spring 39 engages armature 24' and the other arm thereof is engaged by screw 31. Spring 39 therefore biases arn1ature 24 counter-clockwise, as viewed in Figure '7, and the degree of biasing pressure is regulated by the adjustment of screw 31. In its normal position, armature 24 is out of contact with bar 3?], as shown in Figure 7. When coil 25 becomes energized, an attractive force is exerted thereon, by magnet 28, causing armature 24 to pivot clockwise against the biasing force of spring 39 and to engage bar 30. a

Mounted on base I8 is a binding post 40 connected by a wire 4| to the pivot bracket I9. When coil becomes energized, as above described, the normally open circuit between binding posts All and 32 becomes closed by the engagement of armature 2a with bar 30.

Also mounted in housing i l is a relay designated generally at M, having a solenoid winding 2 and a plunger 43. Plunger 43 carries an upper conductive arm E4 and a lower conductive arm' 45, said arms being suitably insulated from plunger l3. spring means so that upper arm at normally engages a pair of contacts 46 and 4-? carried by the relay housing. Designated at 43, 4a, ended; 51

are respective pairs of contacts arranged so as to i be respectively bridged by arms 46 and when plunger 43 is moved downwardly responsive to the energization of solenoid winding 42.

Referring now to Figure 3, 52 designates the vehicle battery. One terminal thereof is grounded and the other terminal thereof is connected through a control'switch 53 to. a Wire 5d which is connected to contact t1. Contact 56 is connected by a wire to the center contact terminals of the high" beam lamp sockets in headlights I6, 16.

One terminal of the relay coil 25 is grounded. The other terminal is connected through the selenium photoelectric cell It to a wire 5%? which is connected to wire '54. Binding post iber. the relay I I is connected by, a wire s? to wire 56. Binding post 32 is connected by a wire 53 to contact 58. One terminal thereof is grounded. Contact 48 is connected by a wire 59 to the center contact terminals of the low beam lamp sockets in headlights it, It. Contacts. is and El are connected together by a wire 68. Wire {is is connected to wire 54 by a wire 6! which includes in series therewith a normally closed. time delay relay switch 62. ing base 63 having mounted thereon a bimetallic arm 64 and a bracket 65 provided with an adjustable contact screw 66 engageable with arm 64. Wound on arm-64 is a heater coil 6?, one terminal of which is connected to arm 66. The other terminal of the coil 6'! is connected to a binding post 68 mounted on base 63. Contact screw 65 is connected to a second binding post 69 mounted on base 63. Arm 64 normally engages screw 66,

but at a predetermined time after heater. coil 61. becomes energized the arm deflects away from said screw.

Under normal conditions, cell M- is substantially non-conducting and there is no energization of solenoid winding 42. Under these conditions when switch 53 is closed, the high beam lamps will be energized from battery 52' through switch 53, wire as, contact 41, arm 45, contact 46 and wire 55. When the light from the headlight beams of an approaching vehicle impinges on the cell l4, said cell becomes conducting and energizes coil 25 from battery 52 through wire 54,v wire 55 and cell is. This causes armature 2G to engage bar 30 and close the contacts of relay l1. ing 42 becomes energized through wire 58, the

closed contacts of relay ILwire 5?, wire 54, closed switch 53, battery 52 and the common ground connections of said battery and solenoid winding 52. Plunger 43 moves downwardly. Arm es bridges contacts 50 and 5!, closing a holding or latching circuit for solenoid winding 42 comprising wire 6|, normally closed time delay switch 62, Wire 68, contact 5|, arm 45, contact 58, wire 58, the winding of solenoid 42 the common ground connection,.betteryjZ, switch .53 and wire: 54.

Plunger 43 is biased upwardly by suitable Switch 62 comprises an insulat- Wincl- 4 Arm 44 disengages from contacts 46 and 41, deenergizing the high beam lamps and bridges contacts 48 and 49, energizing the low beam lamps through a circuit comprising battery .52, wire 54, wire 6|, closed switch 62, contact 43, arm 44, contact 48 and wire 59. After a time period sufilcient for the vehicles to pass each other, switch 52 opens and breaks the holding circuit for solenoid winding 42 as well as the energizing circuit for the low beam lamps. Plunger 43 returns to its normal position, causing the high beam lamps to be again energized.

If both vehicles are equipped with control apparatus' as above described, then high beam lamps will be automatically extinguished and their low beam or dim lamps will be energized during the period required for the vehicles to pass each other, whereby glare hazards are greatly reduced to both drivers during the critical passing period.

While a specific embodiment of an automatic headlight control apparatus for motor vehicles has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will .be understood that Various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore it is intended that no limitations be placed .on' the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

i. In a vehicle headlamp system including a head lamp having a bright and a dim filament, a source of electrical energy, means including a manually operated switch connecting said source of electrical energy with said headlight filaand light-responsive means connected to said relay switch to operate said relay switch to connect the dim filament with the source of electrical energy when said light-responsive device is subjected to light from an approaching vehicle,

means operated by said relay to electrically latch;

said relay switch in'icondition, connecting said source of electrical energy with said dim filament, a'time delay relay connected in series with said relay latching means to release said latching means after a predetermined time interval, and resilient means connected to said relay to return said relay switch to condition connecting the source of electrical energy to the bright filament when said latching means is released.

2; A vehicle head lamp system comprising a headlamp having a "bright filament and a dim filament, a source'- of electrical energy, means including a manually-operated switch connecting said source of electrical energy with said filaments, a relay in" saidconnecting means operative to selectively connect said source of electrical energy to either said bright filament or said dim filament, light-responsive means connected to said relay to condition said relay to connect said source of electrical energy to said dim filament when said light-responsive means is subjected to light from an approaching vehicle, relay latching means operated by said relay to electrically latch said relay in condition connectingsaid source of electrical energy to said dim filament, a timedelay relay connected in series with said latching means to release said latching means after a predetermined time interval, and resilient means connected to said relay to condition said relay to con-nectlsai'd sourceiof electrical energy to said "bright filament when said relay-latching means is released.

3. A vehicle head lamp system comprising a head lamp having a bright" filament and a dim filament, a source of electrical energy. means including a manually-operated switch electrically connecting said source of electrical energy to said filaments, a relay in said connecting means normally connecting said source of energy to said bright filament but operative to connect said source of energy to said dim filament, lightresponsive means connected to said relay to operate said relay to disconnect said source of electrical energy from said bright filament andconnect the latter to said dim filament when said light-responsive means is subjected to light.

from an approaching vehicle, means operated by said relay electrically latching said relay in con- 6 dition to connect said source of electrical energy to said dim filament, and time-delay relay means connected in series with said relay-latching means to release said latching means after a 5 predetermined time interval.

NICHOLAS V. PILLUS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

